Matthew, poet of the Beatitudes - Green, H. Benedict (Sheffield Academic Press, 2001)
Includes bibliographical references (pages 309-328) and indexes
pt. 1. The Beatitudes as poetry -- pt. 2. Poetry and the meaning of the Beatitudes -- pt. 3. Conclusions
Green argues that the Beatitudes in Matthew's version are a carefully constructed poem, exhibiting a number of the characteristics of Hebrew poetry as we know it from the Old Testament; but as certain of these, such as rhyme and alliteration, cannot survive translation, what we have here is an original composition in Greek. This is shown to be no isolated phenomenon in the gospel; a series of texts found at specially significant points in it disclose similar characteristics. The findings cut across conventional source attributions and reveal the creative hand of the evangelist. By studying the